bookmarks

BLOGANUARY 2025 DAY 11

I have deep-cleaned my bathroom, polished my furniture, and vacuumed my carpets, all while watching apartment tours and lifestyle vlogs on YT. Bliss. I never used to be able to keep on top of the housework (not helped by the aforementioned mud, and chickens coming in to the kitchen) but now I have a much smaller acreage, and being able to render the space clean and tidy with a gentle morning’s pottering is balm for my soul. Oh and I washed my paint palette, ready for more art tomorrow: YAY.

Today I used up my leftover gouache by painting over the offcuts from my illustration paper. I buy Fabriano Artistico by the sheet, and after cutting my 25cm squares for the birds, I have strips of beautiful paper which I can’t bear to throw away. I have taken to using up leftover paint so I get to enjoy the melding of pigment and paper, adding water and drops of paint, and I now have granulating spray which gives a new texture to the gouache.

I was wondering what to do with all my painted offcuts, when I realised I needed a bookmark, so drew a giraffe on one of the strips.

I liked it, so drew some more things on the other painted papers. My daughter, who is an avid reader, has numerous books she wants to get through this year, and although she has a Kindle for when she’s out and about, she likes to read the hard copy at home. I showed her the bookmarks and asked her whether she wanted one, and she said she wanted all of them. I showed my other daughter, (another avid reader), who said she wanted all of them. I didn’t dare show my son…

They were both fighting over the brontosaurus, but I divided them equally and arbitrarily, and will post them off on Monday. Amber got the dinosaur as she’s the bossiest out of all of us…

I have lots more offcuts so will make some more. Let me know if you’d like one!